Conventional toy stuffed animals have long been a source of entertainment for children of all ages. However, the interaction between a child and the toy animal is primarily solitary in nature. Adult interaction and participation with the child seldom takes place with the child during this time. Instead, adults, and parents in particular, are generally forced to resort to other toys and recreational activities in order to obtain a more involved quality interaction with the child.
An example of one stuffed animal designed to promote such interaction is U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,712 to Curry, Sr., herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, disclosing a riding toy. While Curry, Sr. discloses a riding toy seeking to improve the interaction between an adult and a child, it lacks features that create a safe playing environment.
As a result, there is a need for a toy animal that is aesthetically and functionally designed to appeal to, and entertain, a child while at the same time permitting safe and secure interpersonal interaction between the child and an adult.